500. antichristos

Lexical Summary

antichristos: Antichrist

Original Word: ἀντίχριστος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: antichristos
Pronunciation: an-tee'-khris-tos
Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee'-khris-tos)
KJV: antichrist
NASB: antichrist, antichrists
Word Origin: [from G473 (ἀντί - instead) and G5547 (Χριστός - Christ)]

1. an adversary (or opponent) of the Messiah, the Anointed-One

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

antichrist.

From anti and Christos; an opponent of the Messiah -- antichrist.

see GREEK anti

see GREEK Christos

HELPS Word-studies

500 antíxristos (from 473 /antí, "opposite to, in place of" and 5547 /Xristós, "Christ") – properly, opposite to Christ; someone acting in place of (against) Christ; "Antichrist."

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from anti and Christos
Definition
antichrist, (one who opposes Christ)
NASB Translation
antichrist (4), antichrists (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 500: ἀντίχριστος

ἀντίχριστος, ἀντιχρίστου, ὁ (ἀντί against and Χριστός, like ἀντίθεος opposing God, in Philo de somn. l. ii. § 27, etc., Justin, quaest. et resp., p. 463 c. and other Fathers; (see Sophocles Lexicon, under the word, cf. Trench, § xxx.)), the adversary of the Messiah, a most pestilent being, to appear just before the Messiah's advent, concerning whom the Jews had conceived diverse opinions, derived partly from Daniel 11:36ff; , partly from Ezekiel 38; Ezekiel 39. Cf. Eisenmenger, Entdecktes Judenthum, ii. 704ff; Gesenius in Ersch and Gruber's Encycl. iv. 292ff under the word Antichrist; Böhmer, Die Lehre v. Antichrist nach Schneckenburger, in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. vol. iv., p. 405ff The name ὁ ἀντίχριστος was formed perhaps by John, the only writer in the N. T. who uses it (five times); he employs it of the corrupt power and influence hostile to Christian interests, especially that which is at work in false teachers who have come from the bosom of the church and are engaged in disseminating error: 1 John 2:18 (where the meaning is, 'what ye have heard concerning Antichrist, as about to make his appearance just before the return of Christ, is now fulfilled in the many false teachers, most worthy to be called antichrists,' (on the omission of the article cf. Buttmann, 89 (78))); 1 John 4:3; and of the false teachers themselves, 1 John 2:22; 2 John 7. In Paul and the Rev. the idea but not the name of Antichrist is found; yet the conception differs from that of John. For Paul teaches that Antichrist will be an individual man (cf. B. D. as below), of the very worst character (τόν ἄνθρωπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας (or, ἀνομίας); see ἁμαρτία, 1), instigated by the devil to try to palm himself off as God: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10. The author of the Apocalypse discovers the power of Antichrist in the sway of imperial Rome, and his person in the Emperor Nero, soon to return from the dead: Revelation 13 and Revelation 17. (Often in ecclesiastical writings.) (See B. D. under the word (American edition for additional references), also B. D. under the article, Thessalonians, Second Epistle to the; Kähler in Herzog edition 2, i. 446f; Westcott, Epistles of St. John, pp 68, 89.)

Topical Lexicon

Term and Scope

The Greek noun ἀντίχριστος (antichristos) designates one who stands in opposition to, or seeks to replace, Jesus Christ. Although the word itself appears only five times—all in the Johannine Epistles—the concept permeates both Testaments through figures who oppose God’s anointed and through prophetic portraits of final rebellion.

Johannine Usage

• 1 John 2:18 contrasts “the antichrist” (singular, an expected eschatological opponent) with “many antichrists” already active within the church.
• 1 John 2:22 defines the antichrist by doctrinal denial: “Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”
• 1 John 4:3 shifts the focus to spiritual influence: the “spirit of the antichrist” energizes every false confession about Jesus.
• 2 John 1:7 locates antichrist activity in itinerant deceivers who refuse to acknowledge the incarnation: “Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

Core Marks of the Antichrist

1. Christological Denial – Rejects Jesus as the Messiah, Son of God, and fully incarnate (1 John 4:2-3).
2. Deceptive Appeal – Operates through persuasive teaching that appears orthodox yet undermines apostolic truth (2 John 1:7).
3. Eschatological Opposition – Prefigures a climactic figure who will lead worldwide rebellion (1 John 2:18).

Canonical Parallels

• Daniel’s “little horn” (Daniel 7:8, 25) and “king who does as he pleases” (Daniel 11:36-37) foreshadow a blasphemous ruler.
• Jesus warns of “false christs and false prophets” (Matthew 24:24).
• Paul pictures “the man of lawlessness” who “sets himself up in God’s temple” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
• Revelation presents “the beast” who demands worship and makes war on the saints (Revelation 13:4-7; 19:19-20).

Collectively these references provide the canonical backdrop for John’s terminology.

Historical Expectation

Early church writers (e.g., Polycarp, Irenaeus, Hippolytus) treated ἀντίχριστος as both present in heretical teachers and future in a single, climactic adversary. Throughout history the title has been variously applied to emperors, ecclesiastical rivals, or political tyrants, yet Scripture maintains the decisive criteria—a rejection of the biblical Christ and an intent to supplant His lordship.

Pastoral and Apostolic Concern

John’s letters reveal that antichristal threats arise first within the visible community (“They went out from us,” 1 John 2:19). Discernment, therefore, centers on testing confession (“Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,” 1 John 4:2) and holding to apostolic teaching (“What you have heard from the beginning,” 1 John 2:24).

Ministry Implications

• Guard the Gospel: Faithful proclamation of the deity, humanity, and messianic office of Jesus confronts antichrist error.
• Cultivate Discernment: Believers must evaluate teachers by their doctrine and fruit (Matthew 7:15-20; 1 John 4:1).
• Persevere in Truth: Confidence in the indwelling Spirit (“the anointing,” 1 John 2:27) equips saints to withstand deception.
• Fix on Hope: The anticipation of Christ’s return (“when He appears,” 1 John 2:28) steadies the church amid rising opposition.

Eschatological Trajectory

While “many antichrists” characterize the entire church age, Scripture points to a final manifestation who will draw global allegiance, oppose God openly, and be destroyed by the appearing of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:20). Thus the presence of forerunner deceivers signals the nearing consummation yet also assures believers of ultimate victory.

Summary

ἀντίχριστος encompasses both immediate false teachers and a future eschatological adversary. The term crystallizes the fundamental clash between the true Christ and every counterfeit claim to divine authority. Vigilance, doctrinal fidelity, and hope in the triumphant return of Jesus Christ remain the biblical response to every form of antichrist.

Forms and Transliterations

αντιχριστοι αντίχριστοι ἀντίχριστοι αντιχριστος αντίχριστος ἀντίχριστος αντιχριστου αντιχρίστου ἀντιχρίστου antichristoi antíchristoi antichristos antíchristos antichristou antichrístou

Englishman's Concordance

1 John 2:18 N-NMS
GRK: ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται καὶ
NAS: as you heard that antichrist is coming,
KJV: that antichrist shall come,
INT: you heard that antichrist is coming even

1 John 2:18 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν
NAS: many antichrists have appeared;
KJV: many antichrists; whereby
INT: even now antichrists many have arisen

1 John 2:22 N-NMS
GRK: ἐστιν ὁ ἀντίχριστος ὁ ἀρνούμενος
NAS: This is the antichrist, the one who denies
KJV: is antichrist, that denieth
INT: is the antichrist who denies

1 John 4:3 N-GMS
GRK: τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου ὃ ἀκηκόατε
NAS: this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, of which
KJV: is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof
INT: that of the antichrist [of] which you heard

2 John 1:7 N-NMS
GRK: καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος
NAS: is the deceiver and the antichrist.
KJV: a deceiver and an antichrist.
INT: and the antichrist

Strong's Greek 500
5 Occurrences

ἀντίχριστοι — 1 Occ.
ἀντίχριστος — 3 Occ.
ἀντιχρίστου — 1 Occ.